1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of medical equipment and more specifically relates to a device for detecting that a multiple-dose vial or a hypodermic syringe cartridge has been broken into.
2. The Prior Art
Injectable mediciments, including narcotics, are typically supplied either in hypodermic syringe cartridges or in multiple-dose vials. Both of these containers are typically made of glass and are commonly sealed by a soft rubber disc which fits over the mouth of the container and which is secured to the container by a swaged metal closure. The metal closure includes an aperture that is aligned with the mount of the container but is located on the opposite side of the rubber seal. Fluid is withdrawn from the multiple-dose vial by inserting the needle of a hypodermic syringe through the rubber seal so that the tip of the needle extends into the container, thereby permitting the contends of the container to be aspirated by the hypodermic syringe.
In the case of a hypodermic syringe cartridge, of a type common in the art, there is provided a hollow hypodermic needle, pointed at both ends and which extends through a plastic cap. When the plastic cap is snapped over the end of the cartridge, one end of the hypodermic needle is forced through the rubber seal of the cartridge, thereby permitting fluid inside the cartridge to be expressed through the needle.
There have been instances of persons removing, without authorization, narcotics from such containers and replacing the removed fluid by a different fluid, such as water or a saline solution. It is difficult to detect whether the rubber seal on a vial or cartridge has been penetrated, because the rubber seal is purposely soft and self-sealing to prevent contamination or exposure of the fluid within the container. As a result, such pilfering of narcotics has gone largely undetected, and the patients receiving the injections have not experienced the expected benefits. The present invention evolved from a desire to remedy this situation.